Overview
- The CSIR-CCMB study, published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, shows that plants use sticky, liquid-like protein droplets to trap viral RNA and stop spread.
- The team found RNA-binding proteins carry charged surface patches that pull together into dense gel droplets, called biomolecular condensates, which encase viral RNA at replication sites and block copying.
- Led by Mandar V. Deshmukh, researchers used Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, fluorescence microscopy, and molecular dynamics simulations to map the proteins’ structure and behavior in detail.
- The work replaces a simple lock‑and‑key view of antiviral defense with a dynamic trapping process that forms and dissolves like oil droplets in water inside cells.
- CCMB says the mechanism could guide breeding or engineering of virus‑resistant crops and may inspire ideas for human disease research, though any real‑world applications will need more testing.